Russell “Russ” Burns, President and former Chief Executive of the Chicago-based real estate development and real estate development firm, Clayco, who was used to direct him at a critical moment, died on March 20 on cancer, the company said.
Burns, who had retired from Turner Construction in 2008 as executive vice president and member of his executive leadership team, wrote a children’s book and pursuing courses to become Minister when Bob Clark, founder of Clayco and executive chairman, hired him as a consultant, who liked a potential successor to run the growing business.
“It had a totally natural ability to instill confidence and trust,” says Clark. “He was a leader who inspired those around him for wanting to succeed, not only for them or for the company, but also for himself.”
Burns graduated from the Tennessee State University Middle with a degree in Business Administration and served as a pilot in the United States Air Force. He was deployed during the Shield Desert and Desert Storm operations and as part of the United Nations Peace Maintenance Force in Eastern Europe. He began his construction career in Lacona Construction, which was later bought by Turner.
Clark, taking on the role of President of Clayco in 2008, Clark says that Burns led the company’s operations in difficult economic times this year.
“With Russ at the helm, in 2010, while most of the construction companies continued to receive, instead we had a record benefit and we had set on a way to grow each year through the great recession,” he says.
The business went from $ 700 million in income in 2008 to $ 7.6 billion by 2024. Burns was appointed CEO in 2010 and affected many parts of the business.
Although Sometimes Clark and Burns disagreed, “we made faith jumps when it were different concepts and ideas, including growing leadership, the development of various team members and business units, and making types of structural changes in the company through complete and absolute transmission of trust. [in Burns] Of all the financial, banking, link and insurance things, “says Clark.
He adds that the burns will be remembered by several sentences called “Russ-Iss”. Noting that when desolate news is delivered, Burns would say, “I read the last chapter and everything is good.”
Peter Davoren, President and CEO of Turner Construction, says that Burns “was one of the most beloved leaders who made us fun for 21 years in Turner. He believed in creating an environment where people could be at their best and be authentic and where everyone would be treated with respect and dignity, contributing the best in people.”
Later, Turner worked with Burns and Clayco on various projects.
Burns also served in Habitat Tips for Humanity, Junior Achievement, Vanderbilt Medical Center, Ymca of Middle Tennessee and Rise St. Thomas Foundation.
After Burns’s retirement in December 2024, Andrew Johnson was appointed CLAYCO CEO.
The new 230,000 -meter office of Clayco in the area of Sant Lluís has been named in honor of Burns.
You can find more details and information on a celebration of life for Saturday, March 29 at 13:00 in Nashville, Tenn.
